Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash
The plane in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was travelling, has been identified as Learjet 45. It is a small business jet commonly used for VIP and charter travel. The Learjet 45 is a twin-engine airliner manufactured by Bombardier under the Learjet brand. It was first introduced in the late 1990s and began flying in 1998. It was designed primarily for short and medium distance journeys and became popular among business leaders and politicians because of its time savings.
But in the last two decades, there have been more than 200 accidents involving aircraft of this category. In which the lives of many people have ended. The production of this aircraft has also stopped in the year 2021. Even after that, why is this plane left in the sky to play with the lives of common people? Let us try to understand this.
What the Learjet 45 looks like from the inside
This aircraft usually has a seating capacity of six to eight passengers, depending on its internal layout. The cabin is usually arranged in a club seating configuration, with two rows of seats facing each other and a short aisle in between. Some editions also have a side-facing seat or a small sofa. There is a small refreshment area and washroom at the rear of the cabin. The aircraft is flown by two pilots and on long flights there may also be a cabin attendant.
Speed and Range
The Learjet 45 has been designed keeping speed and comfort in mind. It can fly at a speed of about 800 to 850 kilometers per hour and has a flight range of about 3,000 kilometers, making it possible to travel non-stop between many major cities of India. The biggest advantage of this aircraft is that compared to large commercial aircraft, it can take off even from small airports and short length runways. This makes it suitable for political tours and emergency travel, especially when leaders have to visit multiple places in a limited time.
Registration in India
In India, such aircraft are registered with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DG). Each aircraft has a unique registration number which starts with the letters VT and acts like a number plate for the aircraft. The serial number of the crashed aircraft is VT-SSK-LJ45 and it is registered in the name of Delhi-based non-scheduled operator VSR Ventures Private Limited. The Learjet 45 has been in use around the world for over two decades and is considered reliable when properly maintained. Like all aircraft, it must follow strict safety procedures during takeoff and landing and is affected by weather and runway conditions.
200 plane crashes
The chartered plane by which Ajit Pawar was traveling was a business jet plane of Learjet company. The special thing is that the company had stopped the production of this plane about 5 years ago in the year 2021. There have been 200 accidents of planes of this category across the world. In which many people have died. Now the biggest question is that when the production of this plane had stopped and there have been 200 accidents of this category of planes, even after that the operation of this plane was continuing.
Why are planes flying?
According to several media reports, the company had stopped the production of Learjet 45 in the year 2021. But the operation of the old aircraft continued because the existing aircraft were being serviced continuously. Besides, the planes were being maintained by the company. According to media reports, this plane was being produced by Bombardier Aerospace (Canada). Due to which the company was continuing the operation of Learjet through maintenance and service. By the way, this company was started in the year 1960 by Canadian businessman William Powell Lear.